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Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is forming a 14-man panel comprised of managers, executives and ownership representatives to discuss all on-field issues including instant replay, umpiring, postseason format and scheduling.The panel, which Selig called the Special Committee for On-Field Matters, will meet for the first time in January at the owners meetings in Phoenix, and the commissioner emphasized that nothing will be off limits.
"There are no sacred cows," Selig said during a conference call Tuesday.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, Dodgers manager Joe Torre, Tigers manager Jim Leyland and Angels manager Mike Scioscia will join Selig on the committee, as will former Braves GM John Schuerholz, former Twins GM Terry Ryan Indians GM Mark Shapiro and Orioles president Andy MacPhail. The panel is rounded out by four ownership representatives (Seattle's Chuck Armstrong, Toronto's Paul Beeston, St. Louis' Bill DeWitt and Philadelphia's Dave Montgomery), Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and columnist George Will.
MLB drew criticism during this year's postseason for a number of things, including poor umpiring (which raised calls for expanded instant replay) and its drawn-out schedule, which featured numerous off days and allowed, among other things, the world champion Yankees to use just three starting pitchers during their run to the title.
While Selig admitted that those issues may have played a part in the forming of the committee now, he said it was not the only reason he was spurred into action and that he's been considering such a panel for some time.
"A lot of things I have been concerned about, whether it's the pace of the game ... there's a myriad of things," he said. "This is not just a reaction to some of the things that happened during the playoffs."
Scioscia, a member of the committee, was particularly critical of the postseason format this October, Selig said one of his first priorities was the pace of the game and both Schuerholz and La Russa, who were on the conference call with the commissioner Tuesday, mentioned the designated hitter rule as a possible topic of discussion when they meet.
In other words, the touchpoints seem almost limitless.
"It's a matter of priorities," La Russa said, "and what bigger priority than the state of the game."
Noticeably lacking from the committee are players and umpires, but Selig said that they'll be a part of the process "once this group gets going.
"We will branch out, but there needs to be a genesis to this project."
As for a timetable, Selig hopes to move quickly once the panel comes to a decision.
"Once we reach a consensus, I'll take action," he said.
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